Superman complex

[Stumper]

I had a pro bono job today for a youth camp up in the mountains at over 8000 feet. (puff, puff, blow, blow, where is the air?). They built a new shower house and the contractor cut into the mountain leaving 4 middling large Ponderosa pines standing on the edge of a bluff over the new structure. They wanted to get the trees out before they became unstable since some roots were already damaged and erosion will probably be an issue. So, I set in to fall them all up the mountain away from the structure. They were fairly thick in the tops so I just took a 30 ft polesaw for setting tag lines. (probably should have used a bow or Bigshot but....)These were 17-20 inch DBH 65-80 ft tall trees so setting my lines at 35'ft was less than ideal. I started with the biggest, set my line, went up the mountain and anchored to a similar size pine's base and set up a Z-rig . Pretensioned it with about 600 lbs of tension. Went back down made my notch, made the back cut leaving a thick hinge,set a wedge went up the hill and cranked the tree over. Perfect! No 2 likewise. No 3 didn't have any downhill lean. I pretensioned with probably 800 lbs of tension left a thick hinge and drove my wedge and tipped it right over-still perfect. No.4 had a little downhill and a bit more eastward lean. It also had most of the limb weight on the south and east sides since it was the eaternmost tree in the group. Uphill (north)and east would have been easiest but their is an above ground waterline that way so I thought " aww, I can crank it over with the z-rig" I had to shift anchors and move further up the mountain so I had about 165 ft of rope out. cranked in my pretension (about 900 lbs) made my notch started my back cut planning a tapered hinge to swing it past the trees directly uphill and lay it across the allready downed trees. Before I got it as deep as I wished-SAWPINCH so I set a wedge and drove it in enough to get my saw out. Went up and pulled on ye olde rope. Ugh, I have a problem-I can gain line but then I can't make another haul. I tied off what I had and went and pounded on my wedges. Trunk makes popping sound- Errr...I don't want a barber chair-my escape route stinks on this one-jump off the 12' bank. I got the help of the camp caretaker and we sucked up a couple of feet and dallied it off and I went down and nipped the hinge a little thinner thenwent back up and hauled it over -right where it was supposed to go. The moral(s) of this tale.
Set pull lines high.
If the load is heavy, add tackle.
It really is past time to buy a Power Puller.
Even SuperStumper has limits to his strength!

 

[Stumper]

 

[Tom Dunlap]

When I need to pull things over I never set up the pull over using my pull rope. In this situation, a piggy back seems safer to me.

Set line high and anchor to my FOS http://www.verticalpro.net/
. Pull as much as I can by hand and snub off. Anchor the MA to the FOS and the rope using a VT. Now, when I pull I can take up slack as I go. If the VT slips, I get a warning but things stay in my control.

Brion Toss was the inspiration for the two speed handy billy that I use. Depending on which ropes I pull I can have 2:1 or 4:1 compression. Pretty handy tool.

Be careful of using the Mini or Maxi Traxon with too much pull. Depending on where you install it in your MA system you run the risk of chewing up your rope. Ouch

Tom

 

[Stumper]

Sounds like a very good arrangement Tom-a little slower to set up but good security!

 

[Tree Machine]

Here's a pic of the larger version of the Mini Traxion, the Pro Traxion (not maxi Traxion), for those of us who haven't seen it. These are Petzl devices.

It's a self-camming pully device whose design still amazes me. I've used both the Pro, and the Mini Traxion. I find the ProTraxion works, much better and use the mini traxion not in rigging, but as a toolbag hauling device when I'm doing cabeling work.

The most common use of the ProTraxion, for me, is in pulling small-to-medium size trees over. Tie in high, rig through the device to a distant fixed object the direction of the fell, set the cam, walk back the free end of the rope to the base of the tree to be felled, and tension the sucker.

This allows me to do the face and back cut, kill the saw, and have the pull rope right there. In contrast to a regular pully, this cammed ProTraxion will not allow the tree to fall backwards. If you're starting with much of a back lean, a 2:1 (two regular pullys and a Pro Traxion) might be a better choice, or install a Maasdam Rope Puller into the system (LOVE mine) . -TM-

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I still do a few tackle setups now and then. sling a rigging plate for anchor and use a klem'hitch to attach the inline pulley for easy-adjust.

For situations where haulling The Winch out would not be as productive/practical.